There’s no application fee, but you’ll have to pay interest and penalties (at a lower rate than an installment plan, and far less than what you’d be charged if you simply don’t pay at all). If an extension or installments won’t work for you, you can apply for an offer in compromise, so you can settle your tax bill for less than you actually owe. You’ll have to pay a $186 application fee. You can use a credit card to pay your tax bill, but with some hefty caveats.

Here are 10 important things the American Institute of CPAs recommends that taxpayers know about getting their federal tax return to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by the Wednesday, April 15 filing deadline and about filing for an extension.

Tax season is a stressful time for most people, but it’s especially difficult for those of us with doubts about our ability to pay the IRS. The good news is there are a number of ways anyone can make an unmanageable tax obligation easier to deal with without drastically driving up the costs.

The IRS recently issued new guidance on offers in compromise (OIC), continuing a trend of liberalizing rules for compromise of outstanding tax obligations. The IRS last made significant changes to its offer program in 2012, resulting in a dramatic increase in acceptance rates.